Ces2008
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Blu-ray's CES 2008 booth tour
Blu-ray's booth was a drastic change from their red neighbors; people were in line for swag, watching demos, playing with BD Live, and taking pictures with Homer and the huge pirate ship. We tried a little BD gaming as well, but we think we'll stick to just watching the movie. We did catch a glimpse of Panasonic's automotive Blu-ray player and 7-inch HD in dash display and let us tell you, we were impressed -- seriously you can see a difference even on a 7-inch screen.%Gallery-13361%
HD DVD's CES 2008 booth tour
HD DVD and Blu-ray had their booths right next to each other and as you might expect the amount of traffic was night and day. As you can see in the pictures, the HD DVD booth was pretty desolate, but the seating at the stage was full of people watching the demonstration. We also tried to say hello to our friends in press relations, but like many people this late in the show, they already left. Gallery: HD DVD booth tour
Optoma to ship three XVGA DLP projectors in March
Optoma announced a trio of DLP projectors due to be shipping over the next few months: models TX776, TX782 and TX783. The projectors pump out 4000, 4500 and 5000-Lumens, respectively. Each of these PJs put up a 3000:1 contrast ratio on the 1024x768-pixels. If you pick up the TX776 , we're guessing you'll use the DVI input; otherwise you can take advantage of HDMI input on the TX782 and TX783. Look for these models to show up in the "professional" (government/education) lineup in March.
DISH Network's CES 2008 Booth tour
Although DISH network's press conference is a little boring because they don't over sensationalize their news, we were impressed with their announcements. More HD channels and more local HD markets are always a good thing and although there were only eleven markets announced at the show, the map at the booth shows many more markets, that we hope is accurate. We also snapped a few pics of the new hardware.%Gallery-13355%
Kopin lays claim to world's smallest color SVGA display
It looks like the various companies that rely on Kopin displays for their gear could soon be soon be dishing out a round of upgrades, as the company has just unveiled what it claims is the world's smallest color SVGA display. Those possible upgrades are made all the more likely by the fact that Kopin's new so-called CyberDisplay SVGA LVS boasts exactly the same 0.44-inch diagonal size as its current VGA model, which allows it to use the same optics and housing, with the size of the connecting cable the only difference. While there's no word on any eyewear or other devices set to use the new display just yet, "select customers" looking to put it to use can apparently get their sample units for evaluation from Kopin right now.
Video: Demoing the multitouch trackpad
There's a lot of noise about MacBooks with multitouch trackpads coming out at Macworld, but we're wondering why there's no similar frenzy over Taiwanese ODM Elantech, which is tucked away in the International Pavilion at CES demoing a multitouch trackpad technology called "Multi-fingers Smartpad." The prototype is actually in an older Asus laptop, but it's got all the pinching and spinning action you'd expect -- check it out after the break!
Jawbone whips CES into a nerd frenzy with free headsets
Jawbone's giving away free headsets to anyone willing to trade in their old one here at CES -- which means they've accumulated an impressive collection of busted old headgear from nerds around the world. Check a few more pics of dudes waiting around for free stuff at the read link.
Asus shows off GeForce 9500M GS-equipped G1Sn laptop
Asus already let out word of at least one new laptop that'd be packing NVIDIA's new GeForce 9500M GS graphics chipset, but it looks like the company's already busy spreading that welcome addition to some of its other offerings, as evidenced by this familiar-looking model HotHardware spotted at CES. Dubbed the G1Sn, the laptop's an update to the company's G1S gaming laptop, and it apparently boasts mostly the same specs, with the exception of those graphics, of course (a 512MB version in this case). No word on a price or release just yet, but we wouldn't expect Asus to sit on this one for too long.
NBC Universal's CES 2008 booth tour
When we heard NBC would be recording NBC Nightly news on the show floor of CES, we wanted to stop by and learn what it takes to produce a remote HD newscast, but unfortunately the PR team never got back to us about access, so instead we took a few pics -- including pictures of Brian Williams preparing for the show. In addition, they had kiosks setup, and using a free 2GB USB memory stick you could download NBC Universal content -- locked down with WM DRM of course.%Gallery-13351%
Samsung's GX-20 DSLR leaked
Apparently, Samsung is about to drop some extra-hot DSLR action on the world -- the 14.6-megapixel monster that is the GX-20. The camera -- which was apparently leaked on a Norwegian website (though later removed) -- features sensor-based image stabilization, a 2.7-inch LCD, one-press RAW formatting, and ISO up to 3200. The camera appears to sport some ruggedized components as well, with resistance to rain, sand, and dust, as well as something called "double dust removal" on the image sensor. There's some speculation that this camera is the product of the unholy union between Samsung and Pentax, and that this model may in fact be the Pentax K20D which is set to be released. Stay tuned to this space for more info.
Vonage updating V-Phone with Mac support, Bluetooth?
Embattled VoIP provider Vonage continues to push forward with plans for the future, first announcing the LCD-equipped V-Portal router, and soon -- if the company's booth reps know what they're talking about -- an update to the V-Phone USB dongle that will allegedly bring both Bluetooth and Mac support. Blogger Michael Puhala reportedly approached a Vonage employee on the show floor to inquire about the future of this VoIP-on-a-stick product, where he was informed that an OS X-friendly version would be introduced in Q2 -- surely good news for customers accustomed to using Boot Camp for getting their telephony on. Make sure to hit up the Read link for more info and a few additional claims.
Ears-on with Sony's MDR-NC500D noise cancelling headphones
We had to check out the potentially miraculous sound of digital noise cancelling in the Sony MDR-NC500D's -- what can we say? They cancel noise. Our finely honed audiophile ears could hear the U2 over the din of the show floor pretty darn well. Was it $400 worth of well? Depends on your annual salary.%Gallery-13343%
Sprint prepped to launch Samsung SPH-M800
Samsung is on a roll this morning, though this isn't as official as the SGH-F490 announced a few minutes ago, but the branding suggest this will show up at Sprint. Sadly, the word is that the 5 megapixel cam found in the F490 has been replaced here with a 2 megapixel shooter, but it does rock EV-DO, and for that we give thanks. No word on when this'll appear or how much it'll cost, but we expect we'll hear more soon.
CES 2008: Best iPod case award
We were taken by this innovative iP*** holster in attractive gunmetal finish, spotted at the Pioneer booth/spacepod. Because nothing says commitment like welding your iGadget right to the wall.%Gallery-13339%
iriver's CES tease-fest continues
iriver's favorite pastime is toying with our heartstrings, and while the latest barrage of fragmented, high-resolution images does just that, at least we've been able to wrap our paws around some of what we're seeing. Hit up the gallery below for today's pictorial treasures. %Gallery-13335%
Samsung surprises on the last day of CES with the SGH-F490
Looks like the folks at Samsung woke up on the right side of the bed this morning, and decided to gift us all with the SGH-F490. This handsome prada-esque set features full screen browsing on its 3.2 inch screen in both landscape and portrait mode, 5 mega pixel camera, 3.5 mm audio jack, 130 MB of internal storage, and memory expansion via microSD. The disappointing bit is that we're only getting tri-band GSM / EDGE and HSDPA in the European 2100 MHz band. Price is set for about €530 (roughly $780) and is expected to ship in February.
Hands-on with the ASUS M50 and M70 terabyte laptops
After we heard ASUS stepped into Crazytown with two new terabyte-capacity laptops, we knew we had to swing by the booth and bust out our cameras. It seems like the company has really been stepping up its game both on the design and spec front, with a solid build from the sleek black top and touchpad-integrated media controller, straight on down to the Core 2 Duo CPUs and -- of course -- the ultra-gigantic storage space. Peep the gallery below for a full on tour of the two systems.%Gallery-13313%
Actiontec's zControl home automation gateways get official
Seeking to "change the way people manage their household electronics," Actiontec is getting set to unleash an outpouring of zControl products. We'd briefly heard about the firm's standalone unit that connects to the home router a few months back, but here at CES even more details are starting to flow. Apparently, Actiontec will be pushing out an entire series of Z-Wave-based wares "designed to centrally manage household electronics such as lights, security cameras, thermostats, motion detectors, garage door openers, motorized shades and automatic sprinklers through the home network." Furthermore, zControl will give owners the ability to dictate connected items remotely, and while we've no room to mention every piece of the forthcoming lineup, you should know that the zControl Starter Kit -- which includes a zControl unit, one indoor camera with motion detector, one lighting control module, and a remote control -- will be available next month for $399. Hit the read link for lots, lots more. [Via eHomeUpgrade]
Hands-on with the ASUS R50A
It's been a real MID / UMPC bonanza at CES this year, and we're not done quite yet. We got to handle the ASUS R50A at the company's small -- yet crowded -- booth, and we've brought back pictures for the gang. While the design is fairly solid on the device, the unit feels a bit slippery to the touch. The button / navigation placement works, though coming to grips with everything wasn't exactly a smooth transition. Once again, we're seeing that miniaturized Vista, and honestly, we're not totally convinced this is the platform of choice for these pixel-dense screens. Check out the gallery and see the little guy in action.%Gallery-13312%
Hands-on with an HD Radio prototype phone
During a brief booth visit at iBiquity, we had opportunity to see what's coming for the HD-Radio people, and the future does include mobile. We've no details to offer here as there were really none to get, but hey, pics are at least something. The device is a bit weak in the knees, but we think the HD Radio types will likely bust out some nice sets, perhaps we'll even see something from partner Samsung.%Gallery-13281%
